WEST POINT — The West Point Police Department is encouraging area residents to turn over unregistered firearms Saturday at the police department at 310 E. Westbrook Ave.
Chief Tim Brinkley said the station will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and no questions will be asked about the firearms or how they were obtained.
“You can’t throw it in a trash can or burn it,” Brinkley said. “These guns need to be off the street, out of the community.”
For juveniles who want to turn in guns or for anyone who has a firearm that’s possibly loaded, Brinkley said they can call 911 and an officer will retrieve the weapon.
Brinkley didn’t know if the department has hosted an event like this in the past and declined to make a prediction on how many firearms the department would collect. However, if the department collects just a single firearm, the event will be worth it, he said.
“Not just in West Point, but every community has seen a spike in unregistered guns,” Brinkley said. “In fact, some of the most drastic legislation is over the right to buy arms.”
In Mississippi, possession of a firearm that has a serial number that has been altered or removed is a felony. If convicted, the penalty is between two to five years in prison.
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